Although it is desirable to squeeze fruit juices, such as orange juice, immediately prior to their being consumed, most consumers utilize canned or frozen juices because of the inadequacy of currently available methods and apparatus for extracting juice.
In order to extract juice, the fruit must be crushed, squeezed or compressed in some manner. Several prior devices have attempted to relieve the consumer of the labor involved in this operation by designing any number of mechanical or electromechanical devices to aid in the extraction of juice. In addition to the consumer market, the labor savings aspect of these devices are also directed toward the food service industry, particularly restaurants and hotels wishing to serve freshly squeezed juice upon its being ordered.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,918,658--Mitcham discloses both manually operated and power driven juice extractors. The power driven juice extractor shown in FIG. 6 of Mitcham reveals that a worm gear 88 is used to drive a worm wheel 85, which is affixed to a power screw 84. The fruit is thus compressed by the lowering of the plunger 71 into the tapered cup 62. Mitcham also discloses a control system for the power driven juice extractor shown in FIG. 6, which causes the plunger 71 to be driven down until a reversing switch 92 is tripped. The rotation of the motor 90 is reversed, causing the plunger 71 to be retracted. A lever 117 and two contacts 96,97 are used to stop the rotation of the motor when the plunger is fully withdrawn.
It would be desirable to provide apparatus whereby juice may be extracted without any danger of the user being injured by the apparatus. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide juice extracting apparatus which was capable of operation only when fully closed.
It is further desirable to provide juice extracting apparatus which is convenient to operate. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a juice extractor into which oranges or other fruit is easily placed. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a juice extractor which automatically completes an extraction cycle without input from the operator.